Through a special grant and guidance from the DTE Energy Foundation, Detroit Jazz Festival is successfully reducing its carbon footprint. We thank DTE and all the fans who cooperated with the effort!
Reduce + Reuse + Recycle = Results!
Reduce The first step was to reduce the use of unnecessary energy and supplies:
The Meijer Kid Bop Stage was powered by solar energy
Six production golf carts were replaced with bicycles
Free paper programs were replaced with signage and electronic versions
5,000 vehicle miles were saved through a new shuttle program sponsored by WEMU which carried 183 people from Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti to the Detroit Jazz Festival
Elimination of the use of 10,000 single use water bottles by switching to five-gallon reusable coolers for crew and volunteers.
500 square feet of plastic board was saved by reducing the size of menu signs for restaurants and beverage stands
Laminated credentials were reduced in size, cutting plastic use in half
Electronic artist submission process (no artist packets, cds, etc.)
Mobile applications, text messaging and email notifications for surveys, programs and other festival info
Reduction of emissions through fuel efficient vehicles for artist transportation
Festival programs were printed on FSC certified recycled paper
Reuse Step two was to avoid waste by reusing materials when possible.
Reusable table cloths and skirts saved over 900 pounds of plastic and packaging.
50% of the 200 Detroit Jazz Festival signs were reused. Any obsolete signs were donated to Arts and Scraps for use in their children’s art programs.
Recycle
Anything that could not be eliminated or reused was recycled. The steps taken below resulted in eliminating 25% of our waste.
DJF added provisions for cardboard and glass recycling
The number of recycling bins were doubled
Volunteers gave collectible postcards to fans as incentives to encouraging recycling
Video boards featured guests being caught “green handed”
Frequent stage announcements encouraged fans to recycle
All plates, utensils and cups in VIP and beverage service areas were made of compostable materials.
Results!
25% (almost ten tons) of the trash from the event was prevented from entering landfills
Two tons of materials were recycled
The additional reduction in waste is credited to the reduction in unnecessary waste.
